8.—6

52

Post and Telegraph Concessions from December, 1890, to 31st August, 191 1— continued.

D. Robertson, Secretary. General Post Office, 6th September, 1911.

Authority : John Mackat. Government Printer, Wellington.—l9ll.

Date. Nature of Concession. 1893—Jan. 1902—June Dec. 1904—Sept. Cable Telegrams. International rate reduced from 10s. 6d. to 5s. 2d. per word. Intercolonial rate reduced from 9s. 6d. for first ten words and Is. each additional word, to 3s. for first ten words and 5d. each additional word. Intercolonial Press cable rate (New Zealand - Australian cable) reduced from 3d. to Id. per word. Ordinary rate to Great Britain reduced to 3s. 4d. a word. Ordinary rate to Great Britain reduced to 3s. a word. Reductions also made on foreign messages. " Code " extended to include words, real or artificial, which are capable of pronunciation in any of the admitted languages. Letter cipher may be used in private telegrams, five letters to a word. Groups, such as "fga" (foreign general average), counted five letters to a word. Reduction of charges to places beyond the Dominion from 3 to 2 rates for New Zealand lines when telegrams marked " Urgent N.Z. Lines." Convention Regulation XVII c : Request for repetition of suspected error in cable messages now charged for actual number of words to be repeated at single rate —tariff charge for one way only. Nov. 1909—July 1891—Oct. Telephone Exchange. Telephone-exchange subscriptions reduced froni £10 and £9 per annum the first year and £8 the second, £7 second connections, to one uniform rate of £5 for first half-mile for business connections and one mile for private-residence connections, and £1 each subsequent mile or fraction of a mile, with £1 entrancefee. 1897—April (Note. —Rates raised at exchanges which give a continous (all day and all night) service to £7 per annum for business connections ; 10s. each additional quarter of a mile after first half-mile for business connections or one mile for privateresidence connections.) Where number of connections justifies continuous attendance, such attendance may be obtained at an all-round subscription of £6 per annum in the place of £7 for business connections and £5 for private connections. Hours of attendance fixed at 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. when number of subscribers reaches fifty. Abolition of fee of £5 5s. per annum for telephoning telegrams to nearest telegraphoffice at country places, and reduction to £1 per annum or 3d. per message of same fee in principal towns. Premises of any hospital or any benevolent or charitable institution duly acknowledged by Minister of Telegraphs may be connected with a telephone exchange at half the regulation rates or charges : but in the event of new lines being required for such institutions the institutions shall ;i;i v the cost of the new lines in addition to the half-rates herein mentioned. Charge for telephoning telegrams abolished at all but chief post-offices. Charges for bureau-communications assessed minute by minute, with a minimum charge for three minutes, in lieu of charging a fixed fee per period of three minutes or fraction thereof. Half-rates charged for bureau-communications between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. l<107 May 1908— Juno Jan. 1909—May Dec. Nov. Nov. 1911—Mar. Telephone-extensions. Only half-deficiency on telephone-lines to be guaranteed by settlers instead of whole deficiency as before ; interest on cost of construction calculated at 3£ per cent, instead of 5 per cent., and charge for stationery not included in estimated expenditure. 1904—Mar. Debentures. Sale of Government 4-per-cent. debentures through the Post Office.